Prophet

In an inconspicuous, dilapidated little house in Petticoat Lane, Oliver met Fagin, the gang leader.

"Oliver, you're back... Hmm, how did you hurt your hand?" Fagin put down the slightly worn Bible he was holding and came over.

"I ran into a damn cop and got hit with a stick," Oliver said nonchalantly.

"Let me see..." Fagin said.

Oliver extended his injured hand, Fagin looked at it, then moved a few of his fingers around.

"Oliver, your hand is injured, but it's nothing serious. The swelling should go down by tomorrow. Hmm, that cop was very kind; he only hit you with a stick. Also, I reminded you before not to call someone 'cop,' because if you get into the habit, they'll notice you as soon as you open your mouth."

"Boss, I understand." Oliver then told Fagin everything that had happened.

"Boss, there's this book too. I found it. I thought you might want to read it, so I brought it to you." After recounting what had happened that day, Oliver took out the book and handed it to Fagin.

"Spartacus?" Fagin took the book and opened it.

"Boss, what does it say in here?" Oliver asked.

Fagin was surrounded by many children. In his spare time, Fagin would tell them stories to pass the time.

"Ah, this is a script, telling a story from thousands of years ago, during the Rome era..."

Fagin initially thought it was just an ordinary hero story, but the more he read, the more terrified and excited he became.

"No wonder, no wonder..." Fagin couldn't help but say.

"Fagin, what are you saying? What's so strange about it?"

"I mean, no wonder the Britain government wanted to go to war with the France. If the France all thought like the people in this book, wouldn't all those gentlemen be terrified? But from this, it's clear that the France have a lot of misunderstandings about God and religion. That's normal, because both Catholicism and Anglican Church have long since turned their backs on God."

Oliver, do you remember when I told you about Jesus being alone in the desert, being tempted by the devil?

"Of course I remember," Oliver replied.

"Then do you remember what the devil used to tempt Jesus?"

"I remember the first one was about Jesus being hungry, and the devil said, 'If you are the Son of God, tell these stones in the desert to turn into bread.' The second one was about the devil taking him to the top of the temple and making him jump down. He said to him, 'If you are the Son of God, jump down! For it is written: 'He will command his angels on your behalf, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.'"

The third time, it seemed, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. He said to him, 'All this I will give you if you bow down and worship me.'"

Fagin nodded and said, "Oliver, you're the smartest of my children, you remember correctly. So do you know what those three temptations from the devil mean?"

Oliver shook his head.

"These three temptations represent the most powerful things in the world: miracles, secrets, and authority. My child, why didn't Jesus turn stones into bread? Can't an almighty God turn stones into bread?"

No, that's not the point. If Jesus could turn stones into bread, the whole world would follow him, but would they follow him because they admired his teachings? No, they would follow him simply because he could perform miracles. People would follow not love, but miracles. That's why Jesus said, 'How ungodly the people of this age are! There are no miracles to be shown to them.'

My child, but look at those churches now, the Catholic Church and the Anglican Church, what do they have in their hands? Aren't they the very three things Jesus rejected—miracles, secrets, and authority? Where do they get these things—since Jesus rejected them all? They come from Him, from that spirit of denial. Oliver, the church today has long since abandoned Christ and is following the devil."

"Boss, I don't quite understand," Oliver said, shaking his head.

"Ah, Oliver, you're still too young to understand these things. All you need to know is to believe in God and His salvation, but never believe in those priests. As for the rest, you'll understand in the future."

Just then, the sound of clapping came from outside, and a voice said, "Kolya, you're becoming more and more like a prophet."

Oliver was startled and quickly jumped up, grabbing a knife.

"Friends outside, please come in and talk," Fagin said calmly, without any Steadfast.

Then the door was pushed open, and the "respectable person" walked in.

"Kolya, my brother, we've finally met again. Hmm, where's Fagin? I haven't seen him in ages." Jag Golen opened his arms and walked towards Fagin, giving him a bear hug.

"Now I am Fagin," Fagin said, patting Jacques Gollen on the back. "I have been Fagin for the past two years."

"Oh..." Jacques Gallen released Fagin, his face somewhat somber. "You're Fagin now, so how are Fabio and Rembrandt?"

"If they were still alive, I would still be called Kolya," Fagin said.

The two men stared at each other in silence for a moment, then Fagin spoke up, "Jaeger, you're the respectable man Oliver met, right? Hmm... how have you been all these years?"

"That's a long story." Yag Gollen found a small stool and plopped down without any regard for appearances. "Back in '88, I went to France, you know, the ship you helped me get on. Then I went to Paris, and I found a job Paris, doing minor roles in a theater company. Sometimes I'd secretly do some of my old tricks too. Yeah, the first theater company to put on that play you just saw."

Later, in that theater troupe, I met many people who later became very important. For example, Saint-Just, who played Spartacus in * Spartacus *. You may have heard of him."

"Yes, I've heard of him," Fagin nodded. "Those gentlemen describe him like a monster who escaped from hell."

"Many France people describe him that way too. But I am his friend, and I still am," said Jacques Gallen.

"Our friends, including ourselves, aren't they all portrayed as monsters?" Fagin laughed, feeling that this brother he hadn't seen for over a decade was still a brother connected by blood.

"Later, the France rebelled, and I joined them," said Jacques Gallen. "I watched those gentlemen panic and bewilderment, watched those noblemen, those unscrupulous merchants, those important figures being pushed to the guillotine one by one—it was truly a memorable time."

However, the revolution later suffered setbacks. Well, as Reverend Fagin said, most struggles in the world end with the heroic sacrifice of the truly sincere and courageous, while the cunning steal their spoils. The situation in France was similar. Although the three Bonaparte Family brothers weren't entirely cunning—they were all very capable men—they weren't truly willing to sacrifice themselves for their ideals. They were heroes, but not saints."

"So, Jacob, what are you doing now?" Fagin asked.

"I...I'm all set now." Jacques Gallen laughed, stood up, and spun around in front of Fagin. "Look at me, don't I look like a lord who should be hanged? Well, I'm now the second secretary at the France Embassy in Britain. That position still allows me to be on friendly terms with those 'lords' we used to have no connection with."

Oh, I ran into that old dog Oku the other day. He was the one who clung to me like a leech, forcing me to flee to France. Now that old dog is even older, but his nose is still incredibly sharp. I recognized him the moment I saw him, and he recognized me too. But I was being taken by some important person—whom he called 'Master'—to ask them some questions. So even though he recognized me, he could only wag his tail respectfully. This is truly... hahaha..."

"Now that you've become such a big shot, what brings you to me?" Fagin asked.

"Of course, it's for the revolution," Jacques Gallen answered without hesitation. "Fagin, you know that France and Britain recently reached a peace agreement. But I must tell you, this peace is ultimately just a ceasefire. It's only because everyone is tired from fighting all this time and needs a short rest. Those Britain nobles, as long as they have a breath left, will want to kill us all. Hmm, you just read that book, * Spartacus *, you should understand why."

Fagin nodded.

"A free people and a despotic tyrant cannot coexist in the world. One of them must fall," said Jacques Gallen. "The France, of course, understand this. That is why Lucien Bonaparte sent me here. One of his objectives in sending me was to instigate a revolution in Britain."

Of course, as I just said, the three Bonaparte brothers were all heroes, but none of them were saints. Monsieur Lucien Bonaparte was no exception. He did this simply in hopes of defeating Britain more quickly. The climax of the France Revolution had, in fact, passed.

"Yes, Fagin, did you see that Slave War Song in * Spartacus *? Back in Valmy, the France warriors sang this song as they defeated the seemingly invincible foreign invaders. But now, in France, very few people sing it anymore. In fact, although not explicitly stated, it's practically forbidden to sing it anymore— the France Revolution stalled midway."

However, even the France Revolution, which stalled midway, brought more power and benefits to the France people. Ordinary France people now live much more humanely than ordinary Britain people. But this shouldn't be the end of the revolution. Minister Lucien has his considerations, but we have ours. Fagin, would you like to hear our considerations?"

"Speak," Fagin said.

"We will start a revolution in Britain, pushing the tide of revolution forward. When the Britain revolution needs a rest, we will start more revolutions in other countries. Country after country, like waves crashing one after another: France — Britain — Italy — Austria — Germany — Poland —even Russia, and then back to France Turkey. We will let the fires of revolution burn throughout the world, destroying cathedrals and prisons! With each revolution, we will break some of the shackles on the people, until finally, we win complete liberation for them."